Washing-machine.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. M. JENSEN. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIUATIONPILED JAN. 2o, 1904.

N0 MODEL ms NDfiRIS Pn'zns cu. PHOTD-UTHQ, minimum, a. c.

Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENT O EIcE.

MARTIN JENSEN, OF BARNARD, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,061, dated June 7, 1904.

Applieationfiled January 20, 1904. Serial No. 189,937. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.

Be it known that I, MARTIN JENsEN, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Barnard, in the county of Nodaway and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to washing-machines, and more especially to that type wherein the tub containing the clothesis oscillated, the operator being assisted by springs to perform such operation.

The object of my invention is to produce a washing-machine of this character of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction which performs its function efliciently and can be operated with the minimum exertion of power.

To this end the invention consistsin certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central section, of a washing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the tub pivot and spring.

In the said drawings a suitable supportingframe is constructed as follows: 1 designates a horizontal bar mounted at one end upon the downwardly-diverging legs 2 and at the other secured in any suitable manner to the leg 3, the latter being braced from the bar by means of braces 4 and 5 by preference. Leg 3 projects upward some distance above bar 1 and carries a strap-hinge 6 at its upper end, and secured to said hinge is an arm 7, capable of occupying the position shown or of being swung in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, to a position against and at the outer side of leg 3, this last-named position making it more convenient to ship the frame.

The inner end of hinged arm 7 is vertically bifurcated, as at 8, the base of the bifurcation being rounded, as at 9, for a purpose which hereinafter appears. The bifurcation is bridged by a cross-bolt 10, engaged at its end by a retainingnut 11. The bar, which is en larged centrally by preference, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a vertical hole 12 in its center, through which depends a tube 13, having a flanged upper end 14, which rests upon the bar, the tube being prevented from upward movement by a collar 15, secured thereon and engaging the under side of the bar, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the tube is externally threaded, as at 16, and is provided with a central notch 17.

18 designates atub, and secured centrally to the bottom of the same is the flanged upper end 19 of a hollow pivot 20, said pivot depending within the tube 13 and having a collar or enlargement 21 engaging said tube at its upper end. Pivot 20 also has a collar 22 at its lower end, which bridges the notch 23 in the lower end of the pivot, engages tube 13, and rests upon the coil-spring 24:, fitting snugly in the lower portion of the tube. The spring has its upper end bent to form a hook 25, which projects through the notch 23 and is held therein by said collar 22. The lower end of the spring projects outwardly through notch 17 of tube 13 and is held reliably therein by the plug 26 of a cap 27, screwed upon the lower end of tube 13.

The spring 24 is preferably of such strength that it is capable of supporting the tub and its contents slightly above the flanged upper end of tube 13, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the tub is oscillated by the operator through the medium of the handle 28 there will be no frictional resistance between the tub and bearing-tube 13 other than the-friction of collars 21 and 22 on said tube and a slight friction between collar 22 and the sustaming-spring.

As the tub is moved in one direction it tightens the spring, and as the pressure is released. said spring returns the tub to its original position and reacts to give it an impetus toward movement in the opposite direction. It will thus be seen that more than half the actual labor of oscillating the tubis perminimum.

The bottom of the tub is corrugated or roughened, as at 29, in a well-known man ner, and fitting within the tub and resting upon the articles therein is a circular rubber 30, which, is also corrugated or roughened at its under side, as shown, or in any other suitable manner, as at 31, said rubber being furthermore provided with a central depending boss 32, adapted when no washing is in the tubto rest upon the bottom and hold the roughened surfaces out of contact, as otherwise the operation of the tub would be injurious to the rubbing-surfaces. A socket 33, secured centrally of the rubber, carries an upwardly-projecting arm 34, rectangular in cross-section, which extends up through the bifurcation 8 of arm 7 and is held therein by bolt 10, hereinbefore mentioned, there being suflicient friction between said parts to prevent the water from elevating the rubber when arranged in operative position, though, of course, the rubber can be made sufliciently heavy to maintain its position by gravity alone. The rounded surfaces presented by the bolt and base 9 of the bifurcation permit of a slight angular relation between arms 7 and 34 in' order that the rubber can maintain a horizontal position in the tub, and therefore impose a substantially uniform pressure on the articles therein without regard to its distance from the bottom of the tub, this distance varying, of course, with the number of articles being washed. As the arm 7 is adapted to maintain a substantially horizontal position when the parts are in operative relation, the rubber-arm is of course adapted to be vertically adjusted in the bifurcation to accommodate the volume being washed.

To place the articles in or remove them from the tub, the arms 34 and 7 may be grasped at their junction, so as to swing the rubber out of the tub, or the bolt 10 may be removed to permit the arm 7 to be swung out of the way and the rubber lifted independently thereof.

The spring is secured in position easily and quickly by first slipping its upper end up through collar 22 and then securing said collar to the lower end of pivot 20, with the hook end 25 of said spring projecting through slot 23 of said pivot. The tub is then lifted and centered, so that the spring and pivot 20 can be lowered into bearing-tn be 13. The operator then from the lower end of the tube presses the lower end of the spring through notch 17 and secures it in such relation by screwing the cap 27 in place.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a washing-machine embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes as properly fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A washing-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a tube depending therefrom, a tub having roughened or rubbing surfaces, and a rigid pivot depending into the tube, and a spring within the tube and attached at its opposite ends to said tube and pivot, in combination with a rubber within the tub and adapted to rest upon the articles within the latter.

2. A washing-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a tube depending therefrom, a tub having roughened or rubbing surfaces, and a rigid pivot depending into the tube, and a spring within the tube and attached at its opposite ends to said tube and pivot, in combination with a rubber within the tub and adapted to rest upon the articles within the latter, and means for holding the rubber rigid as regards rotatable movement.

3. A washing-machine, comprising a suit-.

able frame, a tube depending therefrom, a tub having roughened or rubbing surfaces, and a rigid pivot depending into the tube, and a spring within the tube and attached at its opposite ends to said tube and pivot, in combination with a rubber within the tub and adapted to rest upon the articles within the latter, and a hinged arm supported from the frame and holding the rubber against rotatable movement.

4. A washing-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a tube depending therefrom, a tub having roughened or rubbing surfaces, a rigid pivot depending into the tube, a spring within the tube and attached at its opposite ends to said tube and pivot, and a cap closing the lower end of the tube and supporting through the medium of said spring the weight of the tub and its contents, in combination with a rubber within the tub and adapted to rest upon the articles within the latter.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN JENSEN.

\Vitnesses:

JAMns HAINEY, GEORGE DANIELS. 

